Washington (CNN) – Half of all Americans say they oppose the Obama administration's new policy concerning employer-provided health insurance plans and their coverage of contraceptive services for female employees including those at religiously affiliated institutions, according to a new national survey.

The push by the White House has been sharply criticized by Catholic Church officials, and many political pundits have said that the controversy could hurt President Barack Obama's re-election chances with Catholic voters. But a CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday also indicates that the vast majority of Catholic Americans say they don't always follow church teachings on such issues as abortion and birth control, and few Americans Catholics believe artificial means of birth control are wrong.

(CNN) - Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland said Sunday that critics of a new federal health policy are overreacting to a statute that requires religious institutions to pay for contraceptives in their health insurance plans.

“There has been a little bit too much hyperventilating over this issue,” O’Malley said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”FULL POST

(CNN) – Seeking to put to rest any confusion, the Iowa Republican Party affirmed late Friday night that Rick Santorum took first place in the Iowa caucuses.

The group sent a statement in an effort to "clarify conflicting reports" after the state party released its certified results Thursday showing Santorum had edged rival Mitt Romney by 34 votes.FULL POST